Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon: Mawlock Origins

[Doomblade66]

The subject of Mawlock is always an odd one to discuss since opinions on him vary widely in terms of what he and his inclusion to SF-RotDD did to the general "Shining Feel" (Cards....ahem...).

However, I wanted to discuss his character origins, as opposed to his purpose/feelings on him in the actual gameplay. Basically, from everything he says to you in the HQ and just, in general, his weirdness with Time/Space/etc and knowledge of things beyond what anyone else in the story seems to know/think about / conceive....I've been led to believe that he is one of the Ancients, in some way....perhaps sent through time to aid Max and his Force...or maybe some of the Ancients survived to present-day and he's one of them...and in that respect he just "teleported to Rune" from wherever he and the others (if any) are now...ie, Time Travel is not necessarily required.

One thing that he says that I've always felt is interesting is when he's talking to Narsha before they go through the Teleporter Device in the Soul Eater Interlude battle. She doesn't seem to understand how the machine can make them go so far, instantly....and Mawlock sighs and says something like, "Humans....sigh....it can be so frustrating explaining things to them (something like that).....if it were up to me.............. oh well, never mind."

Thoughts ?

[sulfuroxp]

Is an Ancient with DrainPower-in-Cards Ability..... like Darksol is an Ancient with Dark Powers

[Balbazak]

I just assumed he was a part of some time-traveling-conspiracy group.
Like some sort of guardians of time, they saw that the world's path was turning toward the darkness that was Dark Dragon (the legacy of the gods), so they sent Mawlock in to intervene and save the time-line.
Mawlock did say in one of his conversations with Max:
"This world's path has strayed from it's intended course."
So, I guess he was sent to fix it?

I never really thought about it too much.

[Doomblade66]

Yeah, he clearly isn't human or any other race native to Rune, though. And he has knowledge beyond the scope of anyone in the game, from what is shown/suggested during the playthrough.

I have to think he's an Ancient who, able to time-travel like they did with Max, Kane, and Darksol (at least in that silly alternate story)....can come and go through the time-line of Rune as he wishes. That high technology would also explain how he's able to teleport around to save Narsha, appear to Max, "split" himself, etc.

The Ancients had incredible technology....and magic power...we must remember. They created things like Laser Eye, Torch Eye, etc. which are more advanced weapon-devices than most stuff we have now, in 2009....and most OTHER things in Rune are medieval (swords, spears, lances, etc) in scope. So the Ancients were 1000's of years beyond what "modern" Rune/Parmecia/etc - whatever the name of the Shining Planet is ....which would certainly make someone like Mawlock appear as "strange/powerful/unique" as he does ?

[Kaz]

If the ancients had the power to time travel, why would they freeze Max / Kane when they could've just sent them forward, and then back?

I've always taken Mawlock to be as Balbazak said.

[sulfuroxp]

Max freeze???

Max and Kane travel, but an error in the travel put Max without memories... or travel to other place, not with Kane, and hit his head in the floor (beach) and lost his memories

The Ancients is similar to Atlantida

Mawlock is or not an Ancient, but he live in this period of time

[Kaz]

Max and Kane were in the chambers in the room where you get Adam. If I remember correctly they were basically cryogenically frozen.

[Doomblade66]

Right, Kaz. In truth, they weren't really even "Time Travelers" in the literal Sci-Fi sense of the term. It would be like you and me going into cryo-freeze and waking up 1-year from now. Did we "time travel" ! ? - of course not...but the game acts like it was something out of Back to the Future with the Flux Capacitor.

This is why in response to your earlier question about the Ancients and their time travel abilities....it's quite possible that they DIDN'T have the technology to conduct "TRUE" time-travel (in fact, the thing with Max and Kane having to use Cryo-stasis to "time travel" in effect, PROVES they didn't at that time - or they would have just used that easier / simpler method !)....at the time they sent Kane, Max, and Darksol "forward" to Rune's future.

If some of the Ancients survived the cataclysm that destroyed them (we never really learn what it was - it couldn't have been Dark Dragon as he was defeated by them - - - maybe it was the Vandals or some other unknown menace - or they just started having less children or something odd - and they "died out" naturally, over hundreds of years) * - according to SF-1's intro - it was about 1000-years since the Ancients last lived, from the start of the story (Shining Force) - as that was when they had last sealed Dark Dragon away.

So something happened in those 1000-years to make the Ancients fade from Rune's history into myth and legend.

But if SOME of them had survived whatever happened...and used their advanced technology to go to another dimension, or into space, or who knows what...they would have potentially still been alive in "modern" Rune's era, 1000-years after their last battle with Dark Dragon.

This is what I think Mawlock could be. By that time (1000-years after)- they may have continued to refine their technology and been able to do TRUE "time-travel" - ie - go back in time....or, rather...just teleport around from place to place in the world, without any real effort (this is what we see Mawlock doing most anyways - he never really "TIME TRAVELS" to the past or future, during the game).



Mawlock and his fellow Ancients might have watched the world, and seen the revival of Dark Dragon happening....this is why he talks about the world "straying from the path that was intended"...and he was sent down to Rune to try and help the inhabitants to do this (reseal the beast). Remember he says "Humans...sigh.....it can be so frustrating explaining things to them.... (meaning he does not consider himself human, or even native to Rune anymore in the way the other races are).....if it were up to me (suggesting he takes orders from others - perhaps other Ancients still alive somewhere)....."

And he also mentions that its against his policy to "dirty his hands" - but he'll do so, just once - to "bury you ! (Dark Dragon)" - at the last battle - suggesting again that his role is one of advice and support (through the Card-technologies) - as opposed to direct down-and-dirty frontline combat. This would support the idea that the Ancients want to see the current races of Rune show their worth and reseal the Dragon on their own (Sort of like what Volcanon orders Bowie and crew to do in SF-2, when you meet with him).

[Mr.Runefaust101]

I thought Mawlok was the guy who invented the cards that he talks about in hq. How could he use them if he didn't?

[Mandrew]

His dialogue is terrible and doesn't seem to fit the feel of the game. Actually, none of the new dialogue does, like the part where Max asks Ernest if he is hungry when he asks for a favor! Wow, how lame is that. It is as though they didn't even try to write decent dialogue. Mawlock doesn't seem to have a coherent back story. It seems like they worked out the gameplay and then said ... *$%*#, this doesn't make any sense, lets just make something up about time travel and being able to be in two places at once. You know things are going to be bad in that first scene where he is rescuing Narsha. "Good evening gentlemen..." What, is he James Bond now?

[Doomblade66]

Maybe THAT's the hidden feature Balbazak will unlock when he reaches Star-25....Mawlock....in a Tuxedo outfit !!!

00-Cardmaster ! Bond's got nothin' on this guy !

[Lucifer]

Sorry to necro this topic.

Could it be that Balbaroy's myth about Vern the Birdman proves that the Ancients survived elsewhere in the universe?

[Wulfunruh]

Shower thought...

Oddeye helps the Shining Force defeat Darksol/Mishaela, correct? Darksol being an ancient...alive today. Could it not be that Mawlock is yet another ancient greater devil assisting to defeat Darksol? Or hell, part of ol' Lucifer's crowd? Because where the hell are they in this blood feud? Ol' Lucifer himself? He was the one who excelled at magic. Him being a devil would make sense with his comments on humans.

[Reincar]

Shower thought...

Could it not be that Mawlock is yet another ancient greater devil assisting to defeat Darksol? Or hell, part of ol' Lucifer's crowd? Because where the hell are they in this blood feud? Ol' Lucifer himself? He was the one who excelled at magic. Him being a devil would make sense with his comments on humans.

I always thought that Galm (from SF 3) is Lucifer, seeing how he is one of the strongest devils and sells ancient technology to the Empire.

Or am I completely misremembering things?